The Shrine Madien's Folly
by PennyBlue
Summary: Arnold and Helga get stuck together for a science project. HxA.
1. Part I: Karma is a Bitch

**The Shrine Maiden's Folly**

**By**

**PennyBlue**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but my 06' Hyundai and laptop. Hey Arnold belongs to Craig Bartlett. I'm just messing with his characters. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Summary:** Arnold and Helga get stuck together for a science project. HxA.

**Short Note:** This short story takes place between the first movie and "TJM." I'd like to say two weeks or so after the _April Fool's Day_ episode and before _The Journal_.

**Part I: Karma is a Bitch**

"_Criminy! What is this crap?" –Helga G. Pataki_

"Mr. Simmons is out to get you Arnold," said Gerald without hesitation, "how else can you explain being paired up with Helga G. Pataki _again_?" He made sure he enunciated the last part for good measure.

The blonde glanced away from his friend and back down to the concrete steps of the boarding house's stoop. He had to admit to himself that the odds of Helga and him getting paired together so much were unlikely, but no reason came as to why a teacher would do it on purpose.

"You're just being paranoid, Gerald. He picked the science project pairs randomly; Mr. Simmons said so himself," stated Arnold objectively, "Besides, I'm positive that Helga and I can work together. As you said, we have done projects together before." It felt like he was convincing himself more than he was his friend.

The tall-haired boy frowned slightly, "I worry about you man. I really do. Do you not remember what you went through on April Fool's Day?"

"Of course I do but I got her back at the dance," he thought back to April Fool's Day when Helga pretended she was blind from Arnold's grandfather's "special box." After Gerald overheard Helga telling Phoebe her prank, they devised a plan that caused the pink-bowed girl to be thrown into the gym pool after a rough tango with Arnold.

"Yeah, yeah," Gerald waved the remark off, "she still got the last laugh though."

"Well you can't deny that she hasn't bullied me at all since then," Arnold pointed out as he picked up a small rock off the step and chunked it at the garbage can across the street. It was true. Helga, the bully of PS 118, hadn't called him any names, spit paper balls, or done anything to him in the past couple of weeks. He wouldn't tell Gerald, but he was secretly glad to get this opportunity to talk to Helga and see what was going on.

"Whatever you say man. Maybe she has turned over a new leaf, but maybe," he paused for good measure,"...maybe it's just the calm before the storm." Gerald leaned in front of the blond boy with his hands waving in the air to add dramatic flair to his words.

Arnold rolled his eyes, "I'll never understand your pessimism towards people, Gerald."

The tall-haired boy stood up from his best friend's side and started walking down the steps towards the sidewalk. He took in a breath before turning around and saying, "It's your optimism about Helga that I don't understand. She has been mean to you since you've known each other, yet you still defend her. Sometimes I wonder..."

Gerald paused for a moment. He knew not to let that thought escape his lips lest he wanted to travel into uncharted territory. Looking back down at his expectant friend, whose eyes were questioning him, the boy opted for a scapegoat. He grabbed his bag at the bottom of the stoop before continuing, "..what I meant to say was I wonder what Eugene has planned for tonight. I hope he doesn't want to do a science project on the physics of rhythmic dance or something like that."

Arnold stared at his friend for a moment. Deciding not to push the reason for the sudden subject change, the blonde wiped the dust off his pants and stood up. Gerald obviously looked uncomfortable with his thought. "Well I guess I'd better head inside, Helga is supposed to be here in an hour. I'll see ya tomorrow at school."

"Alright Arnold, good luck tonight," Gerald said as he was putting the backpack on his shoulders, "you're gonna need it."

The blonde chuckled, "I think you're going to need the luck this time, Gerald. After all, Eugene isn't known for being _careful_." It was a well known fact that Eugene was the biggest klutz in PS 118.

"Heh, don't remind me." They laughed.

The two boys's smiled as they lifted their hands to initiate their secret handshake before Gerald walked down the street away from the boarding house. The other boy watched his departure for a minute before turning towards the door.

"Everything will be ok. I just know it," Arnold mumbled quietly to himself before turning the knob and entering the brick building.

A couple of blocks away, a certain pig-tailed girl was twirling around her bedroom gracefully.

"Oh Arnold, how wonderful fate truly is to have brought us together once again," she said to herself with a dream-like glimmer in her eyes. Some higher power had to be taking pity on her to allow such a wondrous occasion to occur. Getting to spend time with Arnold alone was a rare commodity; much less being invited into his home for a few hours. Even if it was only because of a stupid science project, Arnold had still invited her over! Her decision to avoid him for the past two weeks was finally paying off. Hooray for karma!

Reaching a hand down her shirt, she pulled out her most precious item – her locket. It wasn't just any locket; it was the locket that contained a picture of her beloved football-head. Running a lone finger down his face, she sighed again happily.

Decidedly, she leaped around again clutching the locket to her chest in pure bliss whispering dazedly to herself, "You and I together again at last, alone in your room for a few hou...RIIIIIINNNNGGGG!"

The sudden noise surprised the young girl, causing her to lose balance and land on the floor roughly.

"Criminy! Miriam do you plan on getting the phone," Helga questioned loud enough hopefully for her mother to hear.

_RING! RING!_

Still lying uncomfortably on the rug in the middle of her room, Helga growled. Either her mom was too buzzed on _smoothies_ or her parents went off somewhere without telling (probably just forgot). She bet the later of the two options.

_Ring! Ring!_

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses, sheez!"

Lifting herself swiftly off of the floor, she placed her locket back underneath her shirt and walked to phone next to her bed.

After sitting down on the bedside, she lifted the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. Helga sighed in annoyance, "Listen pal, I don't have all day. Spit it out or I'm hanging up!"

"Wait!" the voice pleaded from receiver, "it's me Arnold."

Arnold! Why would he be calling her now? She was just about to leave for his house, so why would he call her? Helga started winding her fingers around the phone cord anxiously.

"_Calm down old girl. He is probably calling to remind me to show up. It's not like he is going to confess his undying love for me or anything. I wish..."_

On the other end of the line, Arnold was waiting for Helga to either hang up the phone or yell at him for bothering her. When neither of those things happened, he decided to continue, "Anyway, we have a slight problem."

Helga, coming out of her mental love fest, responded," What kind of problem football-head? I don't have all day ya know."

Arnold sighed. The old Helga was back, but that wasn't the pressing issue, "Well Helga, you can't come over to my house."

"WHAT!?"

**Author Notes: ** Whoot! Cliffhanger! Not really but I'm trying to keep each part around a 1000 words each since this is supposed to be a "short story". This is my first Hey Arnold fic, so I hope I'm doing alright. Anyway, comment and critique if you like. Just don't flame me please.


	2. Part II: Hanukkah in May

**The Shrine Maiden's Folly**

**By**

**PennyBlue**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but this empty Chinese take-out box and a 20oz bottle of Coke. Hey Arnold belongs to Craig Bartlett.

**Summary:** Arnold and Helga get stuck together for a science project. HxA.

**Part II: Hanukkah in May**

_Arnold sighed, "Women."_

_Arnold sighed inwardly, "Women."_

Not just any girl of course could cause Arnold to sigh like that. It was none other than Helga G. Pataki, who was currently over exaggerating on the other end of the telephone line, which caused the boy's current state of melancholy. It was probably his fault for not explaining the situation first, but he didn't think she would react like she did to what he said only a few moments ago.

"_Well Helga, you can't come over to my house," _he was going over the words he said before Helga had gone on her verbal tirade. He thought that maybe she was just looking for an excuse to scream at him for a bit; after all, she hadn't said or done much to him in the past two weeks. This of course seemed too ridiculous of an excuse even by Helga's standards, so the boy decided that maybe he did in fact insult her by accident. _She is a lot more sensitive than she lets people know._

"...AND HOW DARE YOU INVITE ME OVER AND THEN SAY I CAN'T COME OVER BUCKO," Helga shouted loud enough to cause the boy to pull the phone away from his ear. Arnold took a quick breath before reminding himself_," Stay calm. This is all a slight misunderstanding. I just need to wait until she quits yelling."_

Two weeks of no bullying or bothering the corn flower haired boy flew right out the window by a single comment. In all honesty, Helga knew she was overreacting, but all of the pent up emotions and frustrations just seemed to burst out of her when it came to Arnold.

"_Ugh, criminy! Two weeks of hard work just went poof! Dr. Bliss isn't going to like this,"_ she began to think back to about two weeks ago just after the April Fool's Day "incident". Her therapist gave her the suggestion to leave Arnold alone for about 3 weeks just to see what happened. Helga didn't understand the point of the exercise anyway; was it supposed to measure how long she could avoid Arnold or something else entirely...

"Ummm...Helga? Are you still there," questioned the boy on the other end of the line.

Breaking her away from her thoughts and slowly calming down, she said, "Doi, football-head! I'm cool as a cucumber..."

_CRASH! CRASH!_

".....Arnold? What's going on over there?"

Helga placed the phone closer to her ear in order to attempt to make out the noises on the other end of the line. All she could hear was what sounded like crash symbols and squealing followed by an exasperated sigh from Arnold.

"Well what I was trying to say earlier was that my grandma decided that today was Hanukkah, and chose to celebrate by shooting fireworks from my bedroom. She also hired a marching band which is currently parading around the boarding house as we speak," Arnold spoke as quickly as possible before the band could strike up When the Saints Go Marching In again, "so my room smells like smoke and everyone in the house is trying to get the band out. That's why you can't come over."

Arnold sincerely hoped that this cleared the misunderstanding between them.

"_Good going Helga! Arnold's crazy grandma almost destroyed his room, and you had to snap at him for no reason,"_ she thought sarcastically to herself. Guilt was coursing through her like a wildfire.

Without thinking Helga responded, "Sheez, why didn't you say so in the first place? Just come over to my house then. Nobody is home but me, so I have the added luxury of a bit of peace."

There was a short pause followed by a howl and a symbol crash, "Are you sure you parents won't mind?"

"Nah! They barely know I exist, so one other person in the house wouldn't do much, "she shrugged off her parents neglect as if it were nothing.

Arnold frowned at the statement but continued, "Alright then, I'll bring the equipment over to your house in about 15 minutes ok?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Arnoldo," Helga stated into the receiver quickly before hanging up and growling to herself, "Was saying a little see ya later really so hard?"

Getting herself up off of the side of her bed, Helga pulled her locket out once again and sighed contentedly. She didn't think this day could get any more perfect. Arnold was coming over to her house and would be spending several hours alone with her! All she had to do was try and tone down her constant torture of the boy for a bit. Maybe...just maybe he might get to see the good Helga, the real Helga.

Remembering back on the evening she confessed her undying love for him which she later on explained as a "heat of the moment" thing, Helga realized it was too soon. She wasn't ready and Arnold was certainly not ready that day, but she learned from her mishap and was now working towards the new and improved Helga G. Pataki. Of course she was going to have a few relapses (she rolled her eyes thinking back to the phone conversation), but maybe she could finally one day pull herself out of the role of bully.

With that thought, she walked into hall and pulled down the cord to the attic stairs.

"One ritual couldn't hurt."

**Author Notes: ** Yes, I know the chapters are short. The point was to make this a short story that I can add on to it bit by bit each week. This is my first time I've put fanfiction on the net, so I wanna keep it simple until the good stuff is done.


End file.
